February 19, 2016 - Questions on Knowing Your Sins and How to Meditate More Effectively

How can we become more aware of our sins? Why is our disposition so important to effective prayer and meditation? Dan and Melissa answer these questions as they reflect on the book Finding God Through Meditation by St Peter of Alcántara.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

• Why do I find myself unaware of how I've offended God, even though I know I am a sinner?
• How can I overcome the lack of awareness of sin?
• How does meditation differ from contemplation in Catholic tradition?
• According to St Peter of Alcántara, how does spiritual reading fit into the "way of meditation"?
• What should you do when you feel your heart moved during spiritual reading?
• What is meant by the "proper disposition" for prayer or meditation?
• Why does our disposition for prayer matter?

Resources:

• SpiritualDirection.com website
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - online
• Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
• EWTN Global Catholic Radio
• Catechism of the Catholic Church (Part 1, § 1, Ch 2, Art 1, I) - Vatican website link: God Reveals His Plan of Loving Goodness
• Ephesians 1:4-5 - USCCB link: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him."
• Examination of Conscience - Can be done on:
  • Avila Institute Daily Examen Prayer Guide
  • Capital Sins - Catholic Culture link
    • Conscience Exam on the 7 Capital Sins - SpiritualDirection.com "Navigating the Interior Life" pdf
  • The Ten Commandments
  • Theological Virtues - link to "What Exactly are Virtues?" post on spiritualdirection.com
  • Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy - New Advent link
• Matthew 25:41-43 - "Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ " - USCCB Bible link
• How to Make a Good Confession - John A. Kane
• Infused Contemplation - Definition from the Spiritual Dictionary in the book Navigating the Interior Life - Spiritual Direction and the Journey to God - Daniel Burke with Fr John Bartunek
• Finding God Through Meditation - St Peter of Alcántara, edited by Dan Burke
• Confessions of St Augustine
• Disposition - Definition from the Spiritual Dictionary in the book Navigating the Interior Life - Spiritual Direction and the Journey to God - Daniel Burke with Fr John Bartunek
• The Holy Bible - Knox Translation - EWTN Religious Catalogue link
• In Conversation with God:
  • In Conversation with God - Video on spiritual reading and book recommendation on spiritualdirection.com (includes links for purchasing single volumes of the 7 volume set below, if that fits one's budget better)
  • In Conversation with God - 7 Volume Set of daily meditations by Fr. Francis Fernandez, Opus Dei
• The Better Part: A Christ-Centered Resource for Personal Prayer - Fr John Bartunek
• Divine Intimacy - Meditations on the interior life by Fr Gabriel of St Mary Magdalen
• 1 Corinthians 8:1 - "Now in regard to meat sacrificed to idols: we realize that 'all of us have knowledge'; knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up." (Quote from St Paul about how knowledge puffs up) - USCCB Bible link
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23 - "May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." - USCCB Bible link
• Questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-646-7729.